


School of Knighthood

by Waywatcher



Series: Life at the Officer's Academy [5]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2020-09-28 05:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20420774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waywatcher/pseuds/Waywatcher
Summary: To call Ashe obsessed with being a knight would be... actually fairly accurate. At least, when he's not cooking or thinking about sweets it is.





	1. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Three Houses, all rights to the owners.
> 
> So, this is another character spotlight-ish thing. Last time the focus was Bernadetta. This one will be a Blue Lion, Ashe.
> 
> I think I have a preference for cute archers. Just maybe. Because looking ahead to the Golden Deer, I'm immediately drawn to Ignatz (and, I mean, I already recruited him in my Crimson Flower playthrough, so…).
> 
> Anyways, Ashe. He's going to be a bit more of a challenge because his personality isn't as extreme as Bernadetta's, so it's hard to write him accurately. Okay, let's do this.

"_I have to be seeing things._" Ashe says as he swallows thickly. "_That can't be Prince Dimitri. Can it?_"

The boy knew there would be nobles here. Garreg Mach is well known for providing education from royalty and nobility from all three major factions of Fodlan. He wasn't expecting to see the prince himself though!

"_Woah, he looks so noble…_" Ashe thinks to himself. "_Like a proper knight!_ _Though, uh, he's the prince, so he wouldn't be a knight himself… but he'd have knights serving him right? Maybe he even follows a knightly code._"

There's also a dark-skinned man, likely from Duscur judging by his appearance, by the prince's side. He seems like a bodyguard of some sort, and has harshly-set eyebrows. Ashe makes sure to avert his gaze when the man looks his way.

Ashe was planning on introducing himself, but with the scary bodyguard around, maybe he'll try talking to someone else first. Someone like… the orange haired girl. She looks approachable, and not like she could smash his head in if she felt like it. She's also smaller than him, which does a lot to make her less intimidating to him. Ashe is on the younger side of people here, so he hopes she's in the same boat as him.

"_But what if she's someone important? She's probably someone important! I represent Lord Lonato, I don't want to offend her and make an enemy for him_." Ashe frets. He then shakes his head. "_No! Don't think like that. Just go!_"

Taking a deep breath, Ashe rises from his seat, and walks over to her. "Hey there! I'm Ashe! I guess we're in the same class, huh?"

"I'd hope so, or else one of us is in the wrong classroom!" She quips back, and turns in her seat to face him. "I'm Annette! Annette Fatrine Dominic!"

"I'm Ashe Ubert." The boy replies. He's well aware how unimpressive that is. His family name is a commoner's. He could call himself Ashe Gaspard, but it doesn't feel right to take his adoptive father's surname until he's _earned_ it by becoming a knight. "I'm hoping to learn how to be a proper knight!"

"And I am trying to become a competent mage, as well as looking for my father." Annette replies. "He's a knight actually."

"Really!?" Ashe asks excitedly. Then, realizing how weird his sudden excitement probably looks, he makes a conscious effort to tone it down. "Uh, I mean, that's cool…"

Annette raises an eyebrow; thankfully seeming more amused or curious than put off. "You really like knights don't you?"

"Maybe… yes."

The girl cracks a smile. "You should talk to Ingrid."

"Okay… um… who's that?" He asks weakly. It's probably someone important he doesn't know about. Lonato tried to teach him about the important lineages in the Kingdom, but it's a lot to remember.

"She's got blonde hair, and usually hangs around Sylvain, Felix, and his Highness." Annette offers. "She's rather enamoured with knights as well. I think you'd get along."

"Really!?" Ashe asks giddily. "Th-Thanks for telling me! I'll be sure to go introduce myself to her next!"

"No problem. Glad to help!"

As much as Ashe now wants to go talk to this Ingrid person, he also realizes he's perhaps been a bit rude. He introduced himself to Annette, only to immediately get distracted by his interest in becoming a knight. That's no way to talk with a new acquaintance. He's completely ignored her thus far. "But, uh, I can do that later. You said you're a mage, right? My father didn't use it and neither of us really considered it for me. How does it work? What are you hoping to learn here?"

It's hard to miss the way Annette's eyes light up. Giving someone an opportunity to talk about something they love is usually the fast track to getting in someone's good graces. "Well, you see, reason magic is based in math and physics..."

###

Ashe was expecting to have to search for Ingrid, not to run into her when both of them attempted to grab the same book of the library shelf.

"Oh, sorry." Ashe apologizes immediately, and backs off from the book. "You can take it."

"No no, I don't _need_ it." The blonde lady replies quickly. "I just recognized it, so I thought I'd look."

"Well, that is much the case with me as well. I isn't as if I haven't read these tales dozens of times." Ashe says with a sheepish smile. "So please, take it."

"You're fond of these old stories as well?" The lady asks.

"Yes, quite!" Ashe nods. "Do you have an interest? I could probably direct you towards some good ones."

"That's quite unnecessary. I'm rather _fluent_ in old tales myself." She replies with a grin. "I'm Ingrid, by the way. Ingrid Brandl Galatea, if you're one for full names."

"Ah, I'm Ashe Ubert." He says, and gives her an awkward and quick bow. "By 'fluent', quite how much do you mean…?"

"Name an old tale, and I probably know it." She brags.

"Alright…" Ashe picks his brain for an obscure one. "How about… The Tale of the Tactician and the Prince?"

"The one about Prince Chrom and the High Deliverer?"

Ooh, she's good. "Okay, how about something more historical. Hmm… The Wicked War of-"

"-the Jungle Dread?" Ingrid finishes. "I'm familiar. I'd hardly call that _historical_ though. We don't even have proof that the jungle mentioned there even existed, because no surviving records from the time mention it. Most people who study old tales think it's actually a part of the Ylissian mythos, and not based in history at all."

"Ah, so you _do_ know it." Ashe grins. "I said it was historical hoping I could throw you off, but you really do know what you're talking about."

"Don't take me lightly when it comes to old tales." Ingrid smirks. "It's not fair I'm the only one being quizzed. Mind if I ask a few? I want to be sure you know something _other_ than myths about Ylisse."

"Please do. I won't disappoint!" Ashe says confidently.

"Hmm… a young woman is forbidden to leave her house by her father, but she desperately wants to help protect her father's barony from bandits."

"The Steel Spirit Saga!" Ashe identifies. "Quite a classic! I love the heroine's first outing, where she leaps from her bedroom window, steals her father's armor as he sleeps, and goes to protect a nearby village from an impending attack. The saga as a whole seems to lack a sense of distance, as going from one village to another and back again after a lengthy battle might take quite a while, but it's a solid series overall."

"Okay, that was an easy one. How about… a pair of youngsters: a cocky young duchess-to-be and her level-headed male friend of common birth-"

"The Chronicles of Solis and Lune!" Ashe interrupts eagerly. "That's one of my favourites! Lune is the embodiment of a stoic warrior, unflinching in his resolve, and Solis is the quintessential compassionate and charismatic protector of the weak!"

Ingrid nods in approval. "You're no slouch either I see. I'm impressed. Are you busy at the moment? I presume not, since you're here. Perhaps you wouldn't mind if we sit down somewhere and compare notes?"

"W-Well I don't have _notes_ on old stories, but I have a good memory! I'd be glad to chat!" Ashe chirps.

###

"Can I help you?" The black-haired man asks dryly.

"Yes! Are you training to be a knight?!" Ashe asks.

"No."

"Oh." The wind is taken out of his sails almost immediately, but it doesn't last long. "You remind me of this one knight. He's gruff, and-"

"I don't care." The swordsman snaps.

"He'd totally say that too!" Ashe says eagerly. "And you even use a longsword like he does!"

"It's a very common weapon." The man says.

"But it can't be coincidence!"

"Yes, it can."

"But it _isn't_!"

The man lets out a long, tired sigh. "Don't you have something better to do than watch me?"

"O-Oh, sorry, am I being a bother?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. I'll just go train over here then." Ashe says quietly, and backs away from Felix. "_That's also totally something the knight would say…_" He thinks to himself with a smile.

###

"Ah, the aspiring knight. I'm glad to finally have a chance to talk with you." The Prince says.

"I-It's an honor your Highness."

"Titles aren't necessary Ashe. We are all equals here at the academy." Dimitri says placatingly.

Ashe smiles politely, but he frankly doesn't feel comfortable with calling the Prince by anything other than a title. For once, this has nothing to do with him wanting to be a knight. it just doesn't feel right for him to be so casual with the _prince_. Ashe is basically still a commoner, and he's well aware of that fact. Then again, unless he's royalty himself, he doesn't think he should _ever_ be calling the prince by his name.

"So, Ashe…" Dimitri says. "It has been about a week since class started, has school be kind to you so far?"

"Yes Sir."

"Just Dimitri is fine Ashe." The Prince coughs. "Are you fitting in well? Have you made friends?"

"Well… I am at least on speaking terms with Lady Galatea and Lady Dominique." Ashe offers tentatively.

"Ingrid and Annette? That's good to hear." Dimitri says with a smile. "Annette is quite intelligent despite being on the younger end of students here, and Ingrid in on the path to being a fine knight."

"I agree." Ashe says stiffly. "They are very impressive, and I've learned quite a bit from them even in this short time."

"Oh, you have?"

"Lady Dominique informed me on how the basics of anima magic works, and Lady Galatea's knowledge of old knightly tales is easily equal to my own, if not more due to her higher education." Ashe says. He's trying hard to sound fancy and remember his diction lessons. He needs to use proper titles, even for people who aren't here.

Wait, is he supposed to call them Lady or just Miss? Or was it Madame? Ashe hopes he's doing this right. It's been a while since he's had to put those lessons to use.

"Is that so? You are learning even outside of class I see. Quite impressive." Dimitri chuckles. "I heard from Felix you've taken to the training grounds several times as well. Your dedication towards your future is inspiring."

"I-I'm sure it's nothing compared to you Milord." Ashe replies modestly. He mustn't appear to be trying to outshine the prince. Maybe he should reduce his practice time a bit.

"Nonsense! You're quite impressive!" The Prince refutes. "And I told you to stop calling me by titles, please…"

Ashe is worried this is going to take a wrong turn at any moment. He feels like he's going to say something wrong at any moment. Yes, maybe the Prince wants him to be casual, but that's not appropriate for a commoner nor a knight, and he doesn't want to risk being _too_ casual and accidentally saying something wrong.

He decides the best option is to just get _out_ of the conversation as soon as he can. "Sorry your Highness. I should get going. I… have some work I still need to finish. That written assignment. By your leave…?"

"Oh, of course." Dimitri responds, seeming surprised. "Goodbye Ashe. I'll talk to you another time."

"Of course Milord."

###

"Woah… that smells amazing." Ashe breathes as he peers around Dedue's larger frame to look at the slab of beef the man just finished cooking. He doesn't know what spices the man used, but if the smell is anything to go by they must be amazing.

"Thank you." The man grunts. "I used some of my personal stash of spices from Duscur."

"Those spices must be quite expensive now then. Not many people live in the area of Duscur anymore, and what people of Duscur remain make it dangerous to travel there." Ashe notes.

"Indeed." Dedue nods. "These were purchased at high price from a merchant. An Anna."

Ashe nods. If you want something unusual, difficult, or rare, Annas are the first people you should ask. It may be costly, but Annas can get their hands on virtually anything. "You have to teach me how to apply those spices, and how you cook the meat to best use them! Please?"

"I do not have much more to spare unfortunately. Perhaps, if I can obtain more of the spice, I can instruct you." He offers. "If you do not mind being seen with a man of Duscur."

"Of course not! I know what it's like to be an outsider. I was really poor when I was younger, and now I'm studying here with all these nobles, royals, and the kids of rich people. I'm pretty out of place myself. It would be hypocritical for me to be worried about associating with you."

"Being poor and being from Duscur are _not_ the same thing."

"Oh I know, but we can still be friends, right?" Ashe asks eagerly. "You'll still teach me?"

Dedue eyes the enthusiastic boy who's looking at him with wide-eyed enthusiasm. What a strange person. He seems harmless however, so… "Yes, I will; provided I can find some more."

"Yay!"

###

Ashe eyes the plate of confections the blonde girl brings to the table Annette is sitting at. He's heard Mercedes is quite an expert at cooking sweets, and apparently most of the Blue Lions have already been treated to her cooking at some point already. He's never had any though. He doesn't know why. Maybe Mercedes sees him as below her notice?

It's not his place to protest though. A knight shouldn't complain about or dwell on such petty things. If it _is_ an intentional slight, it's a minor one.

But… Ashe _loves_ sweets! He wants to know if the ones Mercedes makes are as good as everyone claims. Those cupcakes look so fluffy, and those little candies look like they're made of honey. Ashe is salivating at the thought (and sight) of them.

He's supposed to be doing work right now. He's sitting in the classroom with his notebook and quill case, but he's more occupied glancing at the plate of treats sitting across the room from him between the two girls.

"Ah, Ashe. I see you are a man of taste as well." A voice chuckles, and Ashe turns his head to see Sylvain leaning against the table and grinning at him. Ashe isn't familiar with the man. They haven't really spoken all that much. All he knows is that he occasionally sees Sylvain at the training yard bugging Ingrid. "I've noticed your staring."

"I know!" Ashe groans. "They look so good…"

"Don't they?" Sylvain says with an amused sparkle in his eye. "Quite the catch would you say?"

"Definitely." Ashe agrees. He'd _pay_ to try one of the cupcakes… "They look tasty."

Sylvain raises an eyebrow, and a grin crosses his face. "Tasty huh?"

"Yeah. Especially the fluffy white one…" He's referring to the small cake, looking soft, and covered with white icing, sitting in the middle of the tray.

"Ah, Marshmallow."

"_It has marshmallows?_" Ashe blinks. He didn't expect that. It can't be the icing, can it? Maybe the marshmallows are on the inside. That's unique. Now he wants to try it more than ever. "I wish I could just take a bite out of it…"

"A bite? Woah there." Sylvain laughs. "And people say _I'm_ forward."

Ashe blinks again. "I mean, I'd _ask_ first… if I planned on trying to get a bite in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to be a knight. I can't ask about something like this." Ashe sighs.

"That's ridiculous. You'll never know if you don't ask… though you might want to start with something more tame than a bite."

"Like a nibble? There's hardly a point then." The grey-haired boy sighs. "Besides, it would be _petty_ to ask. I'm trying to be a knight, not a child…"

"Petty to ask? That's quite an entitled thing to say." Sylvain remarks. "You expect the opportunity to just be handed to you without effort?"

"No, I don't expect the opportunity _at all_, and as a knight I need to learn to be stoic and unfazed…"

"That sounds lonely."

"Lonely?" Ashe frowns. "What does that have to do with this?"

Sylvain looks confused now too. "What do you mean?"

"Why would I be lonely just because I can't have a slice of cake?"

"Cake?" Sylvain blinks rapidly. "Oh, _oh_, cake, right, sweets, yes, of course! That's what we were talking about, I knew that. I didn't mean lonely, I meant… uh… longing. You'd be filled with _longing_, never having tried the cake if you don't ask."

"What did you think I was talking about?" Ashe asks cautiously.

"Nothing, nothing! Just… uh…" Sylvian glances to the door. "Oh, sorry, I can see… uh… Ingrid, I need to go bothe- say hi to her, bye Ashe."

"Bye…?"

"Oh, and Mercedes!" Sylvain calls as he reaches the door, catching the attention of the two girls. "Ashe wants some of that cake!" He shoots Ashe a cheeky grin, and slips outside.

Now _quite_ embarrassed by having his thoughts exposed, Ashe quickly packs up his things and flees the room. He thinks he hears Mercedes calling after him, but he books it to the safety of his room, and resolutely decides to _never_ interact with Sylvain again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun, but I only feel I got my footing with Ashe right at the end. Not having a drastic personality like Bernadetta makes it harder to use him effectively… I think. Then again, I'm a fairly bad judge of my own work. I'll leave it up to all of you how good this story/collection of scenes was.


	2. The Grace of Mercedes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Mom Mercedes takes care of social outsider/precious boi Ashe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Three Houses, all rights to the owners.
> 
> I honestly didn't expect to make a second chapter for this. This was supposed to be a one-shot. However, another idea came to mind that fit really well, so here it is. You may or may not be surprised to find it involves Mercedes. For those of you familiar with my other works, you know quite well how partial I am to her.

It starts with a daily greeting. It was a surprise at first, but it was nice at the same time to be acknowledged. Ashe knows he's a bit of an outsider, the Blue Lions have pre-established groups already and he's left as the odd one out, so it's nice that he's not being _completely_ ignored.

Then Mercedes invites him to tea. It comes out of nowhere and Ashe is momentarily suspicious. Is she just being polite? Does she invite everyone for tea at least once? It would be rude to say no though, right?

"I'd be happy to join you." He responds with a smile. He tries to look calm, comfortable. He isn't so sure he succeeds. He allows the girl to lead him to a secluded area in the gardens, where everything is already prepared. "_She planned for this…_"

Ashe feels a bit small sitting in the large gazebo as Mercedes pours tea. The structure and the table are clearly meant to hold more than just two people, and the wide, empty area around the gazebo only makes him feel more exposed.

Mercedes seems unbothered though, and passes him a steaming cup. "Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." Ashe says. He's never really had tea before. Lord Lonato wasn't partial to it, and his parents didn't have much money to waste on frivolities. How long is he supposed to wait before trying some? Maybe he'll just wait until Mercedes sips before taking one himself.

There's a silence as Mercedes adds two sugar cubes to her drink and stirs it. Ashe fiddles with his cup, not sure if he should be doing the same as her or if he should maybe take a sip now. It feels wrong to not be doing _something_ with his drink.

"Are you liking the monastery?" Mercedes asks when she finishes stirring. "It's quite impressive, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes!" Ashe nods rapidly. Finally, something to break the ice. "It is! I've found the library particularly impressive for it's large stock of books."

"Really now? I don't read too horribly much myself, at least not the sort of things you'd find in the library."

"I-I see." Ashe nods. They drift into silence, and he feels like he somehow failed the conversation. He wasn't supposed to say something else there, wasn't he? He should have asked her what she liked to read. "_How foolish of me. I'm too nervous for this. It would be too awkward and obvious to ask now though_."

"Do you want some sweets?" Mercedes asks suddenly. She motions to the tray of cupcakes, cookies, small tarts, and a few other desserts. "I made them all myself."

Ashe feels even _worse_ about how poorly this outing is going now, because she apparently put in a lot more effort than he first expected. "I-I'd love to." He reaches across the too-large table to awkwardly snag a cookie off the tray, and Mercedes visibly frowns.

"This isn't working…" The girl says. Ashe cringes, blaming himself, but it quickly becomes apparent she isn't blaming him. She stands up and transfers everything over to Ashe's side of the table, then comes around and takes a seat next to him. She scoots her chair over so that they're sitting nearly side-by-side. "There we go, much better!"

Ashe swallows. His throat feels tight, and he feels the pressure to not mess up increase. Mercedes is being polite to him despite not knowing him, and he's done nothing but be an awkward bumbling mess and eat her cookies. Well, _one_ cookie. He hasn't even touched his drink yet. Maybe he should do that?

He takes a small sip of his drink and instantly spits it back out. The liquid is still searing hot. He quickly sets his cup back down. So quickly in fact that it spills out of the cup and onto his hands and burns them equally as bad.

Ashe shakes his hands to be rid of the burning liquid, but it leaves unsightly red marks on his flesh that sting despite the irritant being gone. His tongue feels equally pained, and overall he feels like a complete fool.

"Oh dear!" Mercedes exclaims. Her hands quickly move to his, glowing with a soft light, and the pain rapidly fades from his hands. "Be careful with the tea, it takes a bit to cool off."

Ashe nods mutely. His tongue still burns uncomfortably. The girl takes notice, and her hand goes up to touch his cheek. She heals the burn through his skin. Ashe flushes, thoroughly embarrassed by his fumble and needing to be healed. He's shown himself to be a spectacular failure in basic social interaction in front of someone who seems like they put quite a bit of effort into preparing this nice meet-up.

Now Ashe just wants out before he can make _more_ of a fool of himself in front of Mercedes. He pushes his chair back and stands up. "L-Look, I need to go. I'm sorry all your effort is going to waste Mer-"

"Now, there will be none of that." Mercedes interrupts with a frown. She grabs his sleeve, and pointedly tugs him back into his seat. Ashe meekly complies and hunches in his seat, feeling sheepish. "I organized this tea party so we could be properly get to know each other, and I intend for that to happen."

All Ashe can do is nod. He still bumbles his way through the conversation, missing obvious cues and the like, but at least he doesn't spill his tea again. He ends the tea party feeling quite embarrassed, and thinking that Mercedes is certainly _never_ going to want to invite him to such a thing ever again.

###

He's invited to another tea party not three days later. He feels even more worried about this one than the last one, because he feels compelled to _not_ be as much of a fuckup as last time.

He doesn't feel very confident to begin with, and any confidence he might have had abandons him when he notices that he isn't the only person who was invited.

Ashe has a vague idea of who Annette is. He knows enough about her to know that she and Mercedes are _very_ close friends. If anyone else had been here instead of her he would have felt less afraid, but a tea party between just the three of them, especially in Mercedes's room rather than a public space.

Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Ashe feels like he's about to be interrogated. He already opened the door though, he can't just leave now without being rude, so he steps inside and reluctantly closes the door behind himself.

"Ashe, good, you're here." Mercedes greets with a smile. "Sit, sit."

Ashe nervously sits on the third chair around the small table. Just like last time, it's filled with tons of Mercedes's self-made desserts. There's also tea, and when Mercedes pours it Ashe makes a point of setting it aside so he doesn't burn himself again.

Annette is the one to start conversation this time. "So, Ashe, how are the assignments treating you? I'm finding historical battle tactics a bit of a challenge myself."

"Ah- um- I find math problematic." He offers tentatively. "And I don't really see how it's useful."

"Math? I'm good at math!" Annette says eagerly. Her eyes sparkle with excitement. "I could help you!"

"O-Oh, thank you." Ashe stammers.

"Do you want some cookies Ashe?" Mercedes asks softly, offering a plate of them to him.

"Y-Yes, thank you."

"Oh, oh! Here!" Annette snaps up a scone and trusts it onto his plate. "You have to try this too! Mercie makes great scones!"

"O-Okay."

A bit overwhelmed, Ashe accepts all the food pushed onto his place and tentatively nibbles on a cookie as the two girls smile at him. He's thankful when they turn away from him for a moment to talk among each other.

It doesn't last long though. Mercedes quickly turns back to him. "Are classes treating you well? What about our classmates? Are you fitting in?"

"Classes are fine, and everyone is nice enough." Ashe responds tentatively. "Though they seem rather occupied among themselves. I haven't gotten to talking to them all that much. Except Sylvain, but he's… um…"

"We're well aware what Sylvain is like." Mercedes nods. She sets down her own plate and leans forwards. "Now Ashe…"

The boy immediately shrinks in place. Mercedes's tone is one of slight scolding.

"Are you getting enough sleep? Your eyes have bangs under them." She asks, learning forwards in concern.

"Well I've been up a _bit_ late with studying." Ashe coughs.

"Unacceptable." Mercedes frowns. "You _must_ get enough sleep Ashe."

"I need to study though Mercedes."

"Don't study _more_, study better." The older girl scolds. "Sleep is far more important than studying anyhow. If you need help studying, we can help you, but I _insist_ you sleep enough."

"Oh." Ashe says meekly. "Okay."

"Good." Mercedes smiles. "Now, how about we talk about something else?"

###

"I'm fine Mercedes!" Ashe insists as the girl fusses over him. "I promise I've been sleeping enough."

"Then why do you look so tired!?" She frowns as she holds his face and scrutinizes him. "It's early!"

"I just finished some early morning training." The boy explains. He shifts in place, trying to look away from the girl, but with his face being held that's hard to do. "I'm fine, really.'

"You can't be exhausting yourself before class even starts!" Mercedes huffs. "Did you at least eat before training?"

"No…?"

"Really now!" Mercedes mutters. She grabs him by the arm and firmly pulls him towards the mess hall. "You shouldn't exhaust yourself on an empty stomach!"

"Mercedes, really-"

"I won't hear any excuses. You _will_ eat if I have to force feed you!"

Ashe can't imagine something like that. Even when she's trying to sound firm, Mercedes's soft voice fails to be forceful in the slightest. Similarly, she's not actually that strong. She's only pulling him around because he's not fighting her.

She brings him to the mess hall and makes sure he gets something to eat. All the while he consumes his meal, she fusses over the fact that he looks tired, that his hair is messy, and that his clothes aren't straight.

Really, Mercedes reminds Ashe of his mother. The thought embaresses him, but he can't deny that it's true.

Once his food is finished, Ashe is then taken back to his room by the girl. She firmly (as firmly as she can anyways) tells him to sleep. When he tries to protest that class in in two hours, she promises to be back to wake him up. She refuses to leave until he's physically in his bed with the covers pulled up, and warns him of deceiving her.

Ashe thinks she's blowing the whole situation out of proportion, but doesn't fight her on it. It's been a long time since he's had someone fuss over him, and while it's thoroughly embarrassing it's also nice because he knows without a doubt that she cares for him. She's also one of the few people he talks to on a regular basis, so Ashe doesn't want to risk annoying her. He was an outsider in the Blue Lions until she pulled him into having tea parties with her and Annette on a regular basis. A few forced naps and a bit of fussing is a small price to pay for what she's given him.

He wakes up three hours later when Mercedes rushes into his room, apologizing profusely for her bad memory. Professor Manuela finds the whole affair adorable and easily forgives their lateness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized a short while ago that the Blue lions has the most distinct groups of all the houses. Dimitri, Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain, make up one firm group of old friends (and Dedue), and Mercedes and Annette make up another, leaving Ashe as the odd one out. That was more or less the idea behind this story: Mercedes makes an effort to help out a socially isolated Ashe by pulling him into her and Annette's activities, and then proceeding to generally fuss over him because that seems like something she would do.
> 
> I headcanon that Annette joins in on caring for Ashe too at some point, and basically the two girls make it a point to provide support to him out of no other real reason than kindness. They recognize that he's a bit socially isolated and out of place, so they make a point of helping him out until he gets on his feet… and it just becomes a habit at some point so they never stop.
> 
> Ashe is also a bit more timid in this story than you might expect. I'm pulling from the headcanon of him being the outsider, as well as the fact that he's the youngest of the Blue Lions, and the only common-born of them (aside from Dedue I guess). He really don't fit in when you look at the Blue Lions as a whole. It's strange actually. Anyhow, all of those combined, I think it's reasonable for him to be a bit more meek here.


End file.
